


maybe this heart of mine is paralyzed

by independentwriter137



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Childhood Friends, Dorks in Love, Ed and Winry are baristas, Ed is Bad with Feelings, Ed is easily flustered, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, the teen rating is purely because of Ed's language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24472738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/independentwriter137/pseuds/independentwriter137
Summary: "Ed gets to work on the next Frap, trying to hide how flustered he is every time Winry accidentally bumps into him or leans over his shoulder to grab something or grazes her hand with his whenever she passes him a drink. If spontaneous combustion was possible, he’s pretty sure he would’ve exploded by now."In which Ed and Winry are baristas working the morning rush and Ed is flustered by their proximity. Winry notices, of course, and hijinks ensue. AKA Another EdWin Coffee Shop AU.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	maybe this heart of mine is paralyzed

**Author's Note:**

> My hand slipped and now I have an EdWin coffee shop au. Also thanks to @stephysketchy for enabling me hehe
> 
> Title is from Matt Nathanson's song "Heart Starts" btw!

Ed’s faced his fair share of challenges since coming to the University of Amestris—sharing a dorm room with a dick who’s somehow distantly related to the Xingese royal family but still inhales food like he’s never gonna see it again; taking one of his first major classes under none other than the smug, arrogant, young hotshot, Professor Bastard; reuniting with _Hohenheim,_ of all people, now that the old man’s decided he wants to try being a father again.

So, yes, it’s been a long freshman year, and Ed likes to think that he’s handled everything pretty well—minor eruptions of his temper aside. He was convinced that there was nothing, absolutely _nothing_ that universe could throw his way at this point that could possibly be worse than what he’s already endured.

Until now.

Central Brew has always been the most popular café on campus. Ed knew that when he applied to work here part-time. He’s even been here during the morning rush a few times as a customer, and while the line had been long, he wouldn’t have described the experience as hectic even if Winry insisted that it was.

Now on the other side of the counter, hectic still doesn’t feel like the right word.

Hell hole, maybe. An exercise in patience and hopelessness not unlike Sisyphus pushing that damn rock up a mountain everyday only to start over again and again and again except this time he is Sisyphus and the rock is a frapuccino and the mountain is the horde of grumpy, sleep-deprived college students who demand caffeine _now._

“You’re gonna have to work a little faster than that, alchemy freak,” Winry says as she zooms past him, twirling a can of whipped cream with practiced ease before topping off three orders.

“I’m _trying,_ ya damn gear head, _”_ Ed says through gritted teeth, already losing count of how many pumps of hazelnut he’s put in the drink he’s making.

Winry’s hand suddenly darts out in front of him and she leans in close enough for him to catch her familiar smell of machine oil and lemon shampoo. His cheeks flush a deep red and he almost knocks over the frap he was working on in surprise.

“Winry! What—what are you _doing_?” he sputters indignantly.

Winry leans back, a bottle of chocolate syrup in her hand as she raises an eyebrow at him. “Ed, I know you’re new here, but when we’re trying to churn out _this_ many orders _this_ quickly, personal space becomes a foreign concept.”

“You could say excuse me,” he grumbles.

“Or you could just suck it up, you big baby,” Winry teases, already sending out her finished drinks. “Besides, I work on your automail all the time. What’s the difference?”

 _The difference_ is _Hawkeye might have pointed out that I may or may not be in love with you yesterday and I can’t recite the periodic table to distract myself_ and _keep track of all these orders,_ he thinks but doesn’t say. Instead, his face just flushes an even deeper scarlet.

“It—it just is!” he half-yells, drawing the attention of some of the customers.

“Eloquent.”

“Shut up!”

He gets to work on the next order, trying to hide how flustered he is every time Winry accidentally bumps into him or leans over his shoulder to grab something or grazes her hand with his whenever she passes him a drink. If spontaneous combustion was possible, he’s pretty sure he would’ve exploded by now.

He’s halfway through stuttering a question about what the hell is rice milk when she reaches for another plastic cup and the tips of her hair tickle his flesh arm, and he notices that the damn gear head is trying to quell a smile.

“You’re laughing at me!” he says, pointing a finger at her accusingly.

“Of course not!”

“You’re doing this on purpose!”

“I would _never.”_

Ed’s known her for far too long to believe her crap and even if he didn’t, the amusement in Winry’s eyes would betray her faux innocence to anyone. He tries to find it in himself to be angry, or at the very least mildly annoyed, except…

Except he might’ve liked the contact. And he might like her smile. And, _fuck it,_ he might like her.

Damn it.

“Dummy,” he grouses for lack of anything better to say and turns back to the rice milk latte whatever though it’s far too late to hide his flushed cheeks.

“You’re the dummy, dummy,” Winry says, tugging lightly on his braid. “And that’s almond milk.”

“What. The. _Fuck?”_

Winry laughs brightly and leans in to snatch the cup away from him. He lets out an embarrassing squeak that he’ll deny ever making when he feels her lips brush against his cheek. She pulls away, but she’s still close enough for him to see how very blue her eyes are.

“Now _that_ was on purpose,” she winks, then whirls away as Ed sputters incoherently.

He’s so screwed. He needs to talk to Al _._

“Excuse me! Is my order ready yet or not?”

He sighs. But first, the morning rush.

**Author's Note:**

> Cue Al laughing hysterically when he hears about this. He's totally a shipper.
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please do leave a comment and/or kudos! They are literally my writing fuel right now and I appreciate each one of them <3 
> 
> You can also check out my EdWin Anastasia AU entitled "with the sun in my eyes (you were gone) and you can also find me on tumblr as indy-mickey where I talk about fandom stuff and talk about potential fics sometimes.


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